Against the tumultuous landscape of this year, Fine Art Asia and Art Basel were able to execute the near-unimaginable in Hong Kong – hold a physical art fair. And while there were some hurdles in the run up to the opening on 26 November, the showcase can only be described as a success: providing an opportunity for the galleries at the heart of Hong Kong’s art community to garner support and hopefully set the precedent for how art events could look in 2021. 

Fine Art Asia 

Fine Art Asia put forward a wonderful display of museum-quality works, ranging from antiquity to the present-day, including antique furniture, jewellery, contemporary art, and ink art. Amongst the impressive booths, Whitestone Gallery exhibited previous finalists Yang Yongliang (China) and Etsu Egami (Japan), shortlisted in 2010 and 2019 respectively. 

Yang Yongliang 

Yongliang’s striking work, Early Spring, was a key feature in the gallery’s presentation: being an impressive two metres in height and illuminated by the glow of a lightbox. Known for his works combining urban and natural landscapes, the artist contemplates the devastating effects of unregulated urbanisation and industrialisation: both in China and beyond.  

This dichotomy between nature and city is mirrored in Yongliang’s style as well, as he creates a dialogue between ancient oriental aesthetics and modern digital techniques. The result is a painterly, almost ink-like quality to his work: where misty landscapes create an otherworldly-feel and allude to an uncertain future. 

While man’s intervention into nature is more obvious in Yongliang’s 2010 shortlisted work, Artificial Wonderland No. 2, where cranes jut out into the skyline, he seems to take a more subtle approach in Early Spring. At first glance, one observes a tranquil, mountainous landscape. However, on closer inspection, dirt roads and trucks on flattened land become visible in the distance – foreshadowing an environment soon to be eroded away. 

Etsu Egami 

Etsu Egami’s pastel-hued, abstracted paintings stand in stark contrast to Yongliang’s detailed, monochromatic landscapes. Colour is a key aspect to Egami’s work, as the melding of ambiguous colours seem to change dependent of the position of the viewer – creating a sense of fluidity. However, these lines of colour form part of a larger composition: that of a human face – as one can see in her recent work Rainbow-2020-005 and in her 2019 shortlisted work Between Sound Wave and Light Wave.  

While not obvious at first, the facial features come into focus as you step back and view the work in its entirety. Egami touches on her intention behind this in a recent interview with ArtPower, where she says “there is an invisible distance between people” and that, through her work, she aims to “make this distance visible”. By forcing the viewer to move in order to view the abstracted face, she is able to make this distance tangible.  

Art Basel 

Art Basel’s Hong Kong Spotlight, comprised of twenty-two solo and group exhibitions, boasted an array of esteemed artists from Asia and beyond. Among these were Chinese artists Lv Shanchuan and Wu Didi: previous finalists in the 2018 and 2017 Prize editions respectively. Both represented by Contemporary by Angela Li, the pair were co-presented in a beautiful yet poignant exhibition entitled Unsettling Stillness. While stylistically diverse, the thematic synchronicity between the two artists was undeniable. 

Lv Shanchuan 

The industrious scent of oil paint and turpentine will let you know that you are near one of Shanchuan’s creations. His highly emotive works capture an abstracted version of the outside world: one currently fraught with socio-political, public health and economic turmoil. Shanchuan reacts to these observations using vibrant colours, fast brushwork and often his own hands to mark the canvas. In his Simulacra series, he has even left gloves and brushes behind in the wake of his emotional purging. 

However, there is a clarity in the chaos. While up close they make appear purely chaotic, stepping back allows a new perspective where the colours and textures come into focus and reveal a remarkable sense of reason and order. 

This style is typical of Shanchuan, who’s work entitled Sea, was shortlisted for The 2018 Sovereign Asian Art Prize. Inspired by political tensions in the South China Sea, the work is also thematically typical of the artist, in that he aims to set aside his own political stances and instead express pure emotion. 

Wu Didi 

In perhaps a polar opposite artistic language to Shanchuan, Wu Didi reflects on her inner world in the midst of mayhem. Where Shanchuan uses his hands, Didi uses a 0.0 paintbrush; where he uses litres of thick oils, she has applied forty layers of thin, translucent paint. 

Despite the divergent styles of the two artists, Didi’s meticulous work is no less impactful. Her depictions of natural forms provide a sense of calm while the muted tones and soothing textures are almost meditative: drawing you into an ethereal, otherworldly nature of her creating. This is especially effective given the uninterrupted background: allowing space for the viewer’s imagination and abiding by an important element in traditional Chinese ink art. 

However, just as Shanchuan’s creations are not as chaotic as they may seem, Didi’s ‘blank’ backgrounds are no less intricate than the rest of the painting. In reality, the artist paints between forty and fifty layers of colour onto her canvas creating a wash similar to rice paper. This contemplative paint application is characteristic of the artist, as seen in her work at Art Basel, A Wound is the Most Suitable Hotbed to a Flower No. 2.

Congratulations to all the artists who exhibited in what was a truly impressive showcase. We look forward to seeing what these institutions will have on offer next year. 

Sources: Contemporary by Angela Li, ArtPower, Yang Yongliang